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November 11, 1918. Eleven in the morning. Suddenly, there is silence. The Canadian soldier George L. Price has just fallen, one of the last victims of an unfathomable carnage that kills close to 10 million soldiers, 9 million civilians and leaves 21 million people wounded. How did it come to this? What are the origins of this madness that takes over the world for four long years? That ruins entire countries and brings down several empires? In 1914, Europe is in the full swing of the Belle Epoque. But on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand, the obscure heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is assassinated by a young Bosnian nationalist. This seemingly inconsequential event will set the old patriotic grudges of European monarchies ablaze. Industrial pundits are in favor of an armed conflict, which they see as a means to avert the rising rancor of the working-class. A few weeks later, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and this triggers the game of alliances between nations. The light-hearted departure of the troops for the war reflects the collective lack of consciousness of a people who believe that the war will be short and glorious. In October 1914, the German troops are nearing Paris. Their victory seems imminent and wartime enthusiasm turns to fear

November 11, 1918. Eleven in the morning. Suddenly, there is silence. The Canadian soldier George L. Price has just fallen, one of the last victims of an unfathomable carnage that kills close to 10 million soldiers, 9 million civilians and leaves 21 million people wounded. How did it come to this? What are the origins of this madness that takes over the world for four long years? That ruins entire countries and brings down several empires? In 1914, Europe is in the full swing of the Belle Epoque. But on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand, the obscure heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is assassinated by a young Bosnian nationalist. This seemingly inconsequential event will set the old patriotic grudges of European monarchies ablaze. Industrial pundits are in favor of an armed conflict, which they see as a means to avert the rising rancor of the working-class. A few weeks later, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and this triggers the game of alliances between nations. The light-hearted departure of the troops for the war reflects the collective lack of consciousness of a people who believe that the war will be short and glorious. In October 1914, the German troops are nearing Paris. Their victory seems imminent and wartime enthusiasm turns to fear